One of my favorites is the Toei 50th anniversary bike on the left (more photos here). So why is it that Toei makes so many beautiful bikes? First off they have a lot of experience , having been founded in 1955. Like many Japanese bike companies they are obviously influenced by the best French bikes. And there is a certain restraint shown in the details and finish. They may be superbly done, but they are not over-done.

I thought it would be fun to share some links to a few bikes I consider especially attractive and to urge anyone who cares to, to add a link to their choices in the comments. Who knows, we may get some ideas for the Velo Orange frames. By the way, I left off the bikes I've posted previously.

I like many of these Japanese bikes, but the Toeis seems to have a restraint and a tightness of line -- an austere quality, not an overdone yuppie toy -- that the others can't quite get to.

I have, however, read (I think it may have been in a blurb written by the redoubtable Richard Sachs) that the Japanese repros tend not to be as burly as the French originals.

It's an obvious choice, but one of my picks would have to be Mariposas. I especially like the porteur cycle Mike Barry made for his son, the pro racer, at http://www.mariposabicycles.com/michaels-porteur-bike.html. I like it that much more because everything just seems so right about that family. Mike the elder is one of the kindliest and most knowledgable people you could ever know. I don't know Mike the younger, but he is one hell of a rider, and writes a good diary column in velonews, and is married to the seemingly delightful Dede Mamet, recently of Team Telekom fame.

Oh. I have a question that has been puzzling me for years. Why do the Toeis, like the Herses, have the generator aligned to run on the rim? I've tried that and it simply dudn't work, even with a rubber hat.

I suspect one of the reasons the Japanese bicycles have that "tight" look is they are beautifully proportioned for short legged riders. Bicycles that fit me tend to have a vaguely long, ungainly look. Not unlike myself.Neil M. "rider of yuppie toys" Berg

I was just checking the Toei Demontable and the Toei Rinko, just to make certain I wasn't wrong in my initial outburst of enthusiasm. I noticed the Demontable generator appears to run on the rim, so apparently at least one owner agrees with David. I also had a sacrilegious thought. The Japanese have a tradition of taking an idea or design and refining and perfecting it. These guys may be better than Singer or Herse.

Chris,I've noticed you have a preference for front racks that mount to the front dropouts, top of fenders and the top the fork. Does all of this triangulation negate springiness of the low trail thin stays?

Front racks are typically mounted to the top of the fender and the dropout or the crown (by a thin strip of metal) and the dropout. Neither is really stiff enough to negate the springiness of the fork.

Of course if you're running 27+mm tires the odds that you're going to be able to notice such flex are very, very slim. High volume tires beat frame material when it comes to providing a smooth ride. A Cannondale with 30mm tires will ride smoother than a 531 frame with 23mm tires (I've tried it)

I know she's not conventionally "pretty", but she's pretty hot to me. Looks "experienced." I have the tendency to dig the look of long time use. Patina. If I had a "nice" bike, it would end up all ugly like my bike is now.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42462070@N00/244331073/

Chris, thanks for the Noodles, bar tape and shellac. She looks better than when I first met her.

Neil, I was saying, I *don't* get why they place the generator to run on the rim. That simply does not work. In fact, I've found that in order to be dependable you really do need a "generator track" on the tire sidewall. Not all that many tires have them and it makes a big difference when the going gets at all moist.